Lifting apparatus



Aug. 31, 1943. H. NILSON 2,323,483

LIFTING APPARATUS Filed June 7, 1941 F/QZ H AVVEN roe Maeoz 0 N/wo/v A7- TOENE Vi Patented Aug. 31, 1943 LIFTING APPARATUS Harold Niison,VVayzat-a, ltIimL, assignor to George H. Ische, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application June '7, 1941, Serial No. 397,027

2 Claims. (Cl. 60-52) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in pressure devices and more particularly to such apparatusof the hydraulic type.

Pressure devices or jacks of the character herein disclosed, mustsometimes be positioned in.

such a manner under a load that it is difficult to operate the usualoperating handle thereof, because of lack of sufiicient room to swing ormanipulate the handle. It is therefore highly desirable that theoperating handle be so mounted on the body of the apparatus that it maybe quickly swung to a position where it may be operated withoutinterference from the load or other objects, whereby the usefulness ofthe apparatus is greatly extended.

An object of the present invention therefore is to provide an apparatusof the character disclosed comprising an operating handle which ismounted for rotary adjustment with respect to the body of the apparatusor jack, in substantially a horizontal plane, whereby the operatinghandle may be positioned in such a manner that it may be convenientlyoperated, regardless of the type of work upon which the apparatus isused.

A further object is to provide a hydraulic jack comprising a body havinga fluid chamber therein, a cylinder and ram also being mounted on saidbody and provided with a fluid pump for controlling the circulation ofthe fluid to and from the ram, and saidpump having an operating handlemounted for oscillatory movement to actuate the pump, and means beingprovided whereby the handle may be rotatably adjusted about the axis ofthe pump to facilitate positioning the handle when operating the jack.

Other objects of the invention reside in the simple and inexpensiveconstruction of the means for adjustably supporting the operating handleon the jack body; in the uniquie manner of mounting the pump cylinder inthe jack body, whereby a portion thereof projects from said body toprovide a support for a handle supporting collar, and whereby the handleis adapted for rotary adjustment with respect to the jack body; in themeans whereby the handle supporting collar may readily be locked to itssupport to prevent rotary adjustment of the handle; and, in the threadedconnection between the handle supporting collar and the upper end of thepump, which serves to minimize play or relative axial movement of thecollar on the pump, when operating the pump handle.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription and accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in theanneXed claims.

In the-accompanying drawing there has been disclosed a structuredesigned to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it i tobe understood thatthe invention is not confined to the exact featuresshown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of a jack showing the invention embodiedtherein;

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 22 of Figure 1, showingthe split collar for supporting the handle;

Figure '3 is a plan view of Figure 1, showing the adjustability of thehandle; and

Figure 4 is a View showing a modified construction.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, there isillustrated in Figure 1, for purposes of disclosure, a pressure orlifting apparatus in the form of a hydraulic jack, comprising a body 2having a fluid chamber 3 therein and provided with a ram 4. A suitablefluid operated pump, generally designated by the numeral 5, is shownmounted in the upper portion of the wall 6 of the body 2, and has athreaded portion 1 received in threaded engagement with acorrespondingly threaded opening 8 provided in the wall 6. The pump 5has a piston 9, the upper end ll of which projects from the upper end ofthe pump cylinder, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1. The pump has anoperating handle l2.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the meansprovided for supporting the operating handle [2 of the pump, wherebysaid handle may be rotatably adjusted in substantially a horizontalplane, with respect to the body 2 of the jack. To thus support thehandle [2, an annular member or collar [3 is mounted on the projectingupper end portion M of the pump cylinder, as shown in Figure 1. Theupper end portion of the cylinder is preferably threaded, as shown at I,and the annular member or collar I3 is received in threaded engagementwith the threads of the cylinder. The collar I3 is normally positionedas shown in Figure 1, wherein a slight clearance is provided between thelower face of the collar [3 and the adjacent wall 6 of the jack body 2,and a similar clearance is provided between the upper face of the collarI3 and the lower face of the head I5.

The operating handle 12 is shown having one end received in a socketmember l6, pivoted to the upper end of the pump piston 9 and having apivotal connection with a link H by means of a pivot pin IS. The lowerend of the link I1 is pivotally connected to the collar l3 by a pin I9,as best shown in Figure 1. By thus pivotally connecting the operatinghandle to the pump piston 9 and the collar l3, the pump piston mayreadily be actuated to operate the pump by swinging movement of theoperating handle I2 in a vertical plane. It will also be noted that bymeans of the collar H, the operating handle may readily be rotatablyadjusted about the axis aa of the pump, as shown by the full and dottedlines in Figure 3. By thus adjustably ,mounting the pump handle on thejack body,

the usefulness of the jack may be greatly extended, because it isusually possible to so position the pump handle that it may beconveniently operated, regardless of the position of the jack body withrespect to the load.

The threaded engagement of the collar 13 with the upper end of the pumpcylinder '1 minimizes wear and play between the collar and pumpcylinder. In some instances, it may be desired to fixedly secure thecollar 13 to the upper threaded portion of the pump cylinder.. To thussecure the collar i3 in fixed position upon the pump cylinder 1, thecollar is shown split, as indicated at 20 in Figure 2, and a suitableclamping screw 2| is mounted in projecting ears of the collar, wherebythe clamping member may be contracted to grip the threaded portion 1 ofthe pump cylinder to secure it against relative rotation thereon.

In Figure 4, I have shown a handle supporting means of slightlydifferent construction, wherein the upper projecting end portion 22 ofthe pump cylinder is unthreaded or cylindrical in form and is adapted toreceive a collar 23, shown provided with an upstanding arm 24 to whichthe socket member i6 is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 18, in amanner similar to the construction shown in Figure 1. In the form shownin Figure 4, the upper end of the pump piston 9 is shown provided with atransverse pin 25, the end portions of which are adapted to .be engagedby forked lugs 26 provided on the socket member 16, as shown. In theform shown in Figure 4, the collar 23 is loosely supported on thecylindrical portion 22 of the pump cylinder, and is free to rotate aboutthe axis a a of the pump cylinder in a manner similar to theconstruction shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

The novel jack herein disclosed has been found extremely useful inindustrial plants where pressure is to be applied to various kinds ofwork, such as in straightening heavy beams, automobile frames, andthelike. In the performance of such operations, a greater range of work maybe accomplished when it is possible to operate thejack in a horizontalposition, or even in an inverted position, which is made possible by thenovel mounting of the operating handle, as herein shown. The rotaryadjustment of the pump handle has also been found very desirable inautomobile jacks, because it makes it possible to swing the handle to aposition to clear fenders or other objects, after the jack has beenoperatively positioned under the vehicle axle or other part of thevehicle to be lifted.

In the present application, I have shown the operating handle applied tothe pump piston of a hydraulic jack. It is to be understood, however,that the invention may be applied to mechanical jacks or other devicesof this general character, where applicable, without departing from thescope of the invention.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplishedat least the principal objects of my invention, and it will also beapparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments hereindescribed may be variously changed and modified, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of usesand has advantages not herein specifically described; hence it will beappreciated that the herein disclosed embodiments are illustrative only,and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a body having a ram mountedfor reciprocal movement therein, a pump comprising an externallythreaded cylinder mounted in said body, said pump controlling thecirculation of a pressure fluid to and from the ram, an operating handlefor the pump, and a split collar received in threaded engagement withthe cylinder adapted to support said handle, the threaded connectionbetween the collar and cylinder permitting rotary adjustment of thehandlea-bout theaxisof the pump, and also permitting axial adjustmentofthe collar on the pump cylinder,- thereby to vary the working stroke ofthe handle with respect to the ground. 7 v I 2. In a jack of the classdescribed, a body having a fluid reservoir therein, a ram, a pumpmounted in said body for circulating the fluid to and from the ram, saidpump being supported in an opening provided in a wall of said body andhaving aportion projecting from said wall, a collar threadedly engagedwith theprojecting portion of said pump and adapted for rotaryadjustment thereon, anda pump operating handle mounted on said collarwherebythe handle may be rotatably adjusted about the axis o f th e pumpto position it for convenient operation, said collar being split wherebyit may be locked in adjusted position. H V

HAROLD NILSON.

